Testimonies About ABC’s Autism/ASD Programs from over 25 years of serving children with autism

Dear Steven,

We had our last session with Daryl Stewart a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to tell you a little about our experience with this very skillful and caring employee of yours. We are so grateful for the work that Daryl did with us. She made an enormous difference in the harmony of our family life. Parenting Ian was causing us a huge amount of stress because of our inability to control our son’s behavior. We felt unsuccessfull and overwhelmed. We were not getting along as parents and as a couple, because we had so many disagreements about parenting. Daryl was methodical and refreshingly direct. She chose her words carefully. She was not annoyingly “advisey” but imparted many very useful strategies.

Her support to us while Ian had surges in “acting out” behaviors was paramount. We would not have stuck to the behavior plan without regular encouragement from her. She was strict with us, not letting us slide, and she did it all with a really great sense of humor. She is obviously a confident individual, which made us trust that she knew what she was doing. Daryl helped us work together. She was non-judgemental, but crystal clear in her expectations of us. Now, because of what we have learned from Daryl, we have regained our sense of humor and joy in our family. We can actually shape Ian’s behavior and enjoy parenting!

Lastly, but importantly, Ian really liked Daryl. I found that impressive since each time she came, she pushed him a little more, stretching his comfort level. But, because of her skill and kind personality, he looked forward to her visits. You have a great employee in Daryl. We cannot say enough good things about her. In my work with other parents who have children with special needs (I facilitate supports groups at the YMCA) I have been raving about our experience with her.

Thanks, Rachel Longan and Lisa Belmont

Dear Mari,

We want to express our appreciation for all that Applied Behavior Consultants has done for Kevin. When we began our relationship with you almost 2 years ago, we were overwhelmed and unsure about what to do to help Kevin, and how to proceed. When your tutors began working with Kevin, he could not even express himself verbally. Through your program, we have learned about autism and strategies we can use. As one example, we were able to potty train Kevin in just one week with direction from your program. We can look back and see how much ABC has done for Kevin and for us, and we thank you.

We want to give a very special thank you to Sarah. She was always professional in manner. Importantly, she patiently listened to our concerns and answered any questions we had. Her Program Update Reports were thorough and provided specific feedback on Kevin’s progress. Her guidance was invaluable.

We recently met with Sarah to reduce tutor hours so that we would have some “downtime” for Kevin and for the family. Having a little brother i the house did bring changes. Sarah met our request. However, because of the lower number of hours, Kevin would be put into a Functional Life Skills program. After some discussion amongst ourselves, we felt that we could provide guidance in this area. As a result, we felt that this would be an appropriate time to end services.

Kevin will still receive speech from his speech therapist, attend special education preschool 4 mornings a week, and attend a preschool for typical children 2 afternoons a week. Our primary goal for Kevin this year is for him “to learn how to interact appropriately with his peers.” We hope to provide additional opportunities for him to be with other children.

We know that Kevn still has much to learn and a long way to go. ABC has provided a strong foundation for us to build upon. We are hopeful that Kevin will continue to grow as he has done these past few years.

With appreciation,

The Bancroft and Hobkirk Families

Dear Rick,

Thanks for your visiting us on this Wednesday August 29th weekly team meeting. I appreciate your willingness to meet with me so that I could share my concerns about my son Alvin and what he needs in the future. It was really a pleasant meeting. According to Alvin’s ability I understand that without ABC home program’s helping, he could not have reduced his behavior within two years. He still has some challenges and needs to be conquered, at least I can bring him out in the public without fear and finally can bring back my family life.

Here I want to thank your Program manager Nicole, Senior Behavior consultant, Xochita, tutors Breanna and Kristina, and sub-tutor Lisa. They helped Alvin to develop his strength and overcome his weakness. They built excellent interaction during the session. They really did a great team job. And I also want to say thanks to our home program coordinator Marie for arranging a substitute tutor and upgrade information promptly. Our family really appreciates everything the in-home program did for Alvin and understanding his needs. Thanks again for your support.

Sincerely, Shu-shen (Alvin’s Mother)

Testimonial Statements About ABC’s Infant-Toddler Program

“This is a wonderful program you have here. Everything that I have seen is just so great!”

(Upon seeing the parent lounge and treadmill) “Wow!! You guys have really thought of EVERYTHING, what a nice environment for your parents. Thank you for bringing such an amazing program to our community. We are so fortunate to have you here. If your center is this great, I can only imagine how wonderful your in-home programs are, I am definitely going to refer some students to you. I have some students who could really benefit from your program.”